Govt. Taxes & Fees

(Dive Travel Business News - April 10, 2010) -- According to accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, hotels charged travelers almost $2 billion in hidden fees and surcharges in 2007. Full disclosure is not the name of the game with hotels and travel websites who are mum about additional fees over and above the room or package rate - until you check out, that is. 

Surprise fees blindside our clients and get them upset with us for not warning us upfront. Third party brokers like wholesalers and tour operators may be very careful to outline what's included in a package - yet some of them don't know or don't care to mention what's NOT included in the rate. We all look bad in the eyes of our clients. read more »

(Dive Magazine - Sept 9, 2009) -- According to Dive Magazine (UK), the Maldivian government plans to impose a US$3 per day Green Tax on its visitors. The plan, which is yet to be approved by parliament, is expected to bring in $6.3 million USD annually from the 700,000 tourists who visit its islands.

Under threat of climate change, the Maldives archipelago,  located in the Indian Ocean, is under siege by rising sea levels that may submerge many of its islands by 2100.   Maldivian President Nasheed has launched an initiative to make the islands the first carbon neutral country in the world where all energy used on the islands coming from renewable sources in 10 years time. 

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(May 15, 2008 - CNNMoney.com) -- As if high fuel prices aren’t enough, airlines and passengers are getting pinched by rising taxes as the U.S. government demands a bigger piece of the pie.

About 20% of the price of a $300 domestic round-trip ticket goes to taxes and fees, according to the Air Transport Association, compared with 13% in 1992 and 7% in 1972.

“When the government decides to throw another tax on passengers, that is greatly hurting an already financially hurting industry,” said ATA spokesman David Castelveter. “We’ve long said that we are one of the most overtaxed industries, and we now are dealing with record-level fuel increases. The airline industry is in a worse financial situation than it was on 9/11.”

Rick Seaney, chief executive of online ticket vendor Farecompare.com, dissected ticket prices and estimated that the U.S. government reaped $40 billion in airline ticket taxes in 2007.

Seaney broke down the price of a $300 domestic round-trip flight: read more »